From Tristram to Watson, the journey took even longer than Fang Zheng had imagined. When he was awakened by the boatman and stepped onto Watson's pier, five hours had already passed.
Did I just waste five hours?
Watching the boatman's figure fade into the distance, Fang Zheng furrowed his brow. He hadn't expected Watson to be so far from Tristram, and it was a one-way trip—the boatman had told him that he was responsible for transport only one way. Originally, Fang Zheng was puzzled, but then he realized that there was a teleportation array under the small chapel in Watson; that thing was much faster than any boat.
Forget it, let's find the fragment first.
With that thought, Fang Zheng stepped towards the small town of Watson.
At this time, Watson had not yet faced the attacks from cultists as it did in the game. People still lived in peaceful and tranquil times. Occasionally, he could see passing fishing boats and children playing in the fields. Seeing this, Fang Zheng couldn't help but feel a bit melancholic. He could imagine that once the cultists attacked, almost nothing here could remain intact.
Unfortunately, Fang Zheng was no better than a clay Bodhisattva fording a river, unable to protect himself. He now only hoped he could quickly take away the fragment. Maybe then the cultists would have no reason to attack Watson and might divert their attention, preserving the peace of this small village.
Fang Zheng, being a stranger, did not attract much attention in the town, probably because most people were busy with work. The whole town looked calm and serene. Fang Zheng had no intention of causing any disturbance and quickly found the church in the town, knocking on its door. Soon, a man dressed as a priest came out of the church, curiously looking at Fang Zheng.
"Hello, stranger, may I ask why you have come to Watson?"
Looking at the priest, Fang Zheng nodded and then pulled out Captain Rumford's letter from his pocket and handed it over.
"I am a militiaman from Tristram. Previously, a meteorite fell there, and I heard some fragments landed in Watson, so I came to see if there are any clues."
Upon hearing Fang Zheng's response, the priest froze for a moment, then nodded as if suddenly understanding.
"I know what you're talking about; coincidentally, we did find something quite peculiar. Please, follow me..."
Saying this, the priest stepped aside, motioning Fang Zheng to enter. Listening to the priest, Fang Zheng looked at him meaningfully, then walked into the church.
The entire church was dimly lit, with only the faint light of candles barely illuminating the surroundings.
"What exactly is it?"
As Fang Zheng walked deeper into the church, he casually asked. At that moment, there was a creaking sound as the church doors closed behind him. Then, the priest's voice came again.
"Oh, a fisherman caught it while fishing. It occasionally emits a very strange power. The fisherman didn't know what it was and brought it to the church. I intended to store it, not expecting it to be related to the meteorite..."
While speaking, the priest fixed his gaze on Fang Zheng's back. Then, he reached into his pocket, silently pulling out a dagger. Fang Zheng seemed unaware, curiously looking around and casually asking.
"Where is the fragment?"
As he spoke, the priest quickened his pace quietly, moving behind Fang Zheng. He gripped the dagger tightly and aimed it at Fang Zheng, stabbing with force!
At the same time, a glint of cold light flashed!
"How is this... possible..."
The priest's eyes widened in shock, staring at the icy blade embedded in his body. The chill of Frostmourne spread rapidly, even making him feel a fear that seemed to freeze his very soul.
"How did you... discover..."
"Your acting is terrible; go home and practice."
Looking at the stunned priest, Fang Zheng sneered. In fact, Fang Zheng had sensed something off about the priest as soon as they met. The priest's eyes were filled with worry at first, then anxiety when he heard Fang Zheng's purpose. The most suspicious part was the priest's cursory glance at Captain Rumford's letter; he merely skimmed it before hastily allowing Fang Zheng into the church.
Fang Zheng had always been good at reading people, which helped him gather information, and now he used this skill to judge that something was wrong.
Even more confirming was that the priest walked behind him instead of leading him once inside the church. Normally, if the fragment was hidden, the priest would guide the way. Instead, he fell behind under the pretext of closing the door. This raised alarms for Fang Zheng.
Most importantly, when the priest moved to attack, Fang Zheng clearly heard his breath grow heavier—a natural human reaction, indicating excitement or nervousness. Therefore, without hesitation, Fang Zheng summoned Frostmourne and swung it toward his rear.
The fact proved Fang Zheng's judgment right.
This priest was indeed a cultist!
With a scream, the cultist's soul was forcefully extracted from his body and absorbed into Frostmourne. At the same time, a line of information appeared before Fang Zheng.
[Power of the Soul +45]
Indeed, the souls of the living are stronger than those of the undead.
Seeing the system notification, Fang Zheng curled his lip, then sheathed Frostmourne and began searching for the Holy Sword fragment. Since this priest was a cultist, Magda likely already knew about the fragment. Reflecting on the situation, it seemed likely that the delay was intentional to lead the Nephalem in circles! Probably, in the game, by the time the Nephalem reached Watson, Magda had already taken the fragment!
The more Fang Zheng thought about it, the more it seemed plausible. Why else, in the game, did the Nephalem find only Magda's illusion waiting in the cellar, calmly as if expecting him? It was obviously a trap!
"As expected, it's not here."
After thoroughly checking the church, Fang Zheng found nothing. However, this did not make him anxious; instead, it confirmed his judgment that the fragment was always hidden in the cellar, not moved there from the church.
The cultist probably believed his plan was foolproof, but little did he know Fang Zheng already knew the cellars' location from the game. After finding nothing in the church, Fang Zheng left through the backdoor and headed straight to the cellar. Although it was locked, Fang Zheng, keeping his guard up and wary of the cultists appearing at any moment, sliced the cellar door open with his sword and walked inside.
The cellar looked much like it did in the game. Walking through the corridor, Fang Zheng soon reached the central platform, where he saw the sword hilt emitting a soft radiance.
This was the fragment of the Holy Sword! Fortunately, it was still here!
Seeing the fragment, Fang Zheng finally felt relieved. He approached the platform and carefully examined the surroundings. Finding no traps, he reached out, took the hilt, and placed it in his pocket. Only then did Fang Zheng feel truly at ease.
"Alright, everything's settled. Now to return to Tristram..."
But before Fang Zheng could finish speaking, suddenly, a flash of light appeared behind the platform. Several figures in yellow robes, clearly cultists, emerged from the light. They looked at Fang Zheng and froze for a moment, and Fang Zheng, seeing the sudden appearance of cultists, was momentarily stunned. Quickly, he realized what had happened.
These cultists had teleported here using a teleportation array!